national income

American  

noun

1. the total net earnings from the production of goods and services in a country over a period of time, usually one year, and consisting essentially of wages, salaries, rent, profits, and interest.

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national income British  

noun

1. economics the total of all incomes accruing over a specified period to residents of a country and consisting of wages, salaries, profits, rent, and interest

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Etymology

Origin of national income

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

The possibility of a populist backlash is especially relevant currently, given that the share of national income going to labor is now at an all-time low.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

France is planning to reduce development assistance by nearly 40%, and the U.K. is shrinking aid expenditures from 0.5% to 0.3% of its gross national income by 2027.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2026

The 16th Amendment simultaneously allowed national income tax.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 27, 2025

Calculated by spending per head of the population, Denmark is ahead; but as a share of national income, its health spending is similar to, and in fact slightly below that of the UK's.

From BBC • Sep. 11, 2025

Cazeaux, Eléments, 163, estimated the net national income, in 1825, at 5,000,000,000 francs; Cochut, in 1861, at 16,000,000,000.

From Principles of Political Economy, Vol. II by Roscher, Wilhelm